Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Russian-Georgian border checkpoint reopens
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
10 Oct 04
Tbilisi, 10 October: The Verkhniy Lars checkpoint reopened on the
North Ossetian section of the Russian-Georgian border today. Hundreds
of cars and passengers have passed through the checkpoint to Georgia
and Armenia, and Georgian cars have been able to enter Russia, Mindia
Arabuli, head of the Georgian checkpoint Kazbegi, which is on the
same section of the border, has told ITAR-TASS on the telephone.
He said, “The Russian side has informed the Georgian border guards
that the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint will be open until 2000 1600 gmt
today”. “There is no information so far about its future working
schedule,” Arabuli said.
The Verkhniy Lars checkpoint was closed after the tragic events in
Beslan. In the last 40 days it has been opened three times for three
to four hours. The Georgian authorities have been repeatedly asking
that the checkpoint be reopened as soon as possible.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La Stampa
Ottobre 2, 2004
GEORGIA: DALLA STRADA DI TAMERLANO ALLA COLCHIDE DEL VELLO D’ORO,
ALLA RUPE CUI FU INCATENATO PROMETEO Tbilisi: vino e spada per amici
e nemici
Ricatto Giorgio
Giorgio Ricatto LA statua della Madre Georgia domina da un colle
Tbilisi: offre una coppa di vino agli amici e una spada ai nemici. La
fortezza di Narikala s’impone a poca distanza. Il fiume Mtkvari, nel
lungo cammino dalla Turchia al Mar Caspio, attraversa la citta’.
Tbilisi e’ un’autentica capitale; nelle contraddizioni della “”nuova
Georgia””, nella grandiosita’ della valle dominata da boschi e monti,
nella straordinaria ricchezza di popoli e culture. Citta’ multietnica
e di grande respiro da sempre, conserva nel quartiere antico tra
chiese ortodosse, i resti di un tempio zoroastriano, una cattedrale
armena, una sinagoga e una moschea sunnita presso le terme. I celebri
bagni di acqua solforosa ancora funzionanti che incantarono Dumas e
Puskin. Accanto, le antiche case dai balconi in legno risorgono dal
degrado, nei vicoli si aprono botteghe, ristorantini, gallerie.
Sul fiume si affacciano le signorili case a balconate ed il quartiere
Avlari con la chiesa Metekhe che una delle tante leggende caucasiche
vuole fondata nel V secolo e sepoltura di una martire cristiana. Sul
viale Rustaveli Gamziri l’architettura residenziale mostra dettagli
neoclassici, moreschi, neobarocchi. Tra poverta’ e innovazione a
Tbilisi si respira un’atmosfera di inquietudine, ogni giorno le
manifestazioni ricordano i bassi salari e la carenza di lavoro, il
grande hotel Iveria d’epoca sovietica si e’ trasformato in rifugio
per i profughi georgiani dall’Abkhazia.
Tutto questo pero’ non intacca l’esuberanza dei georgiani, la loro
vocazione alla gioia di vivere, al banchetto, al gusto per la musica
e la battuta. Il temperamento ospitale e orgoglioso. Viaggiando per
il paese si comprende quanto le tradizioni piu’ autentiche siano
sentite e la musica sia non soltanto un piacere, ma un’educazione
profonda alle proprie radici e al bello.
Il rito del banchetto si ripetera’ con frequenza, per celebrare un
matrimonio o un anniversario in un locale pubblico o festeggiare un
invito privato. Una quantita’ di cibi squisiti e il buon vino sono
protagonisti, poi tanta musica, i celebri canti polifonici che
un’orchestra o i convitati stessi cantano con una bravura sempre
sorprendente. Su tutto regna il “”tamada”” capo del banchetto, colui
che decide i brindisi seguiti da un discorso e che si ripetono tra
musica e allegria. Anche Koba il mio autista e guida, “”Schumacher””
georgiano bravissimo su strade sterrate, si rivela un ottimo
“”tamada””.
Una localita’ remota di grande suggestione e’ David Gareja
sull’itinerario per Telavi. Dopo aver superato i massicci impianti
per la produzione dell’azoto, dinosauri sopravvissuti di un’industria
sovietica consumata da ruggine e abbandono, la campagna si perde in
lontananza su un lago che segna il confine con l’Azerbaijan. Poi la
strada si arrampica su altipiani desertici, appena colorati da un
velluto di erbe selvatiche. Unica traccia di vita una volpe e il volo
di un’aquila a caccia di prede. All’orizzonte i monti assumono
tonalita’ grigio-azzurre-violette sfumando nell’infinito.
Il monastero di David Gareja, antica scuola di pittura e copiatura di
manoscritti e’ chiuso da mura e da una torre di guardia. Si sviluppa
su tre piani e diverse epoche, le celle rupestri affrescate si
disperdono in un’area vasta ai confini con l’Azerbaijan, aspra e
inospitale. In questa natura c’e’ spazio anche per chi desiderasse
ritirarsi nelle grotte e in meditazione. All’insegna del silenzio,
un’upupa mi guarda immobile aprendo la sua cresta a ventaglio. La
strada sterrata continua in una natura magnetica che si colora di
suggestioni, stormi di rondini si alzano compatte come nuvole nere
per volare nel cielo terso, poi alberi da frutta, girasoli, vigne e
campi di mais trasformano il paesaggio in un quadro agreste
rallegrato dal colore e dal canto dei gruccioni.
Telavi, cuore della regione vinicola del Kakheti, antica residenza
dei re Kakhetiani, non e’ soltanto vigneti anche se orgogliosamente
rivendica la primogenitura del vino. Conserva numerosi monasteri sedi
di biblioteche, accademie medievali e ancora visibili orci sotterrati
per la conservazione dei vini. Visitarli vuol dire viaggiare tra
fiumi e fitti boschi, scoprire localita’ incantevoli. Un Caucaso
sperduto che porta al confine con la Cecenia. I complessi monastici
georgiani, come in Armenia, nascondono vie di fuga e si chiudono
nelle mura delle fortificazioni in memoria di antiche invasioni. Meno
severi e misteriosi di quelli armeni sono piu’ luminosi e interamente
affrescati all’interno, anche se il tempo, l’incuria e l’arroganza
sovietica, che spesso ha coperto con una mano di calce affreschi
pregiati, hanno in parte deturpato un patrimonio d’arte sacra oggi in
recupero.
Fra i dettagli, la vite e’ un elemento frequente, decora come un filo
conduttore i monasteri di Armenia e Georgia. Spesso vi sono blasoni e
simboli di un cristianesimo severo, cresciuto su arcaiche credenze
pagane. Sui fiumi Mtkvari e Aragvi, Mtskheta e’ l’antica capitale
considerata Patrimonio dell’Umanita’. Nella cattedrale in cui furono
incoronati e sepolti i re, tra pregiati affreschi, sorgono le
fondamenta della prima chiesa cristiana in Georgia. La leggenda vuole
in questo luogo il ritrovamento della tunica di Cristo. E’ protetta
da mura come la scenografica chiesa di Jvari che domina dall’alto una
valle pervasa da leggende e arte medievale.
Un’area archeologica abbandonata a pochi passi dal fiume tra uccelli,
ranocchie e farfalle, rivela alcuni reperti lasciati in balia di
pioggia e vento, e resti di un palazzo, forse di terme. Viene da
pensare ai tesori nascosti in questa terra dimenticata, forse anche
nell’orto. Lungo la storica Strada Militare Georgiana si percorre la
parte centrale della catena caucasica che separa la Georgia dalla
Russia e si incontra la fortezza di Ananuri, un complesso fortificato
medievale. Sulle parti della chiesa cinta da mura, piante d’uva
scolpite e un ornamento a grappoli d’uva sul portale.
Nella valle il bacino artificiale di Zhinvali che copre quattro
villaggi e’ circondato da picchi caucasici. Sono invece alte pareti
di arenaria dorata a nascondere Uplistsikhe, una citta’ rupestre tra
le piu’ antiche del Caucaso.
Tra grotte e pietre levigate si ripercorre storia e leggenda, si
rievocano riti pagani, l’eta’ del bronzo, vie carovaniere, Tamerlano,
i re georgiani.
Nella valle sul fiume Mtkvari non puo’ mancare una visita in una
cantina secolare. Il custode della citta’ morta mi accompagna per
brindare con un vino nero, denso e morbido, fermentato in otri di
terracotta interrati presso la vasca per pigiare l’uva. Tra campi e
pioppi, Gori custodisce il museo, la casa natale e l’unica statua
rimasta al mondo di Stalin. Un ossessivo ricordo del dittatore, un
paese congelato nelle inquietudini del passato. Proseguo verso
Kutaisi in un paesaggio sempre piu’ verde e montagnoso.
La strada segue il corso del fiume Rikotula tra campi di mais e
colli. Superato il passo Rikoti la regione dell’Imereti si presenta
con picchi a pan di zucchero, nuvole dense e boschi.
Nella Colchide degli argonauti alla ricerca del vello d’oro e di
Medea, tra le vette caucasiche alle quali e’ stato incatenato
Prometeo per il furto del fuoco, la mitologia cede spazio ad
autentici capolavori d’arte medievale: la cattedrale di Kutaisi e il
monastero di Gelati.
GRAPHIC: C.: CANTI POLIFONICI Celebre e’ il “”Supruli”” canto
eseguito durante i pasti, ma vi sono canti polifonici per ogni
occasione, dai canti epici ai canti religiosi. L’educazione musicale
e’ una tappa indispensabile nella formazione di un georgiano.
Entusiasmante e’ la bravura canora dei ragazzi, scoperta in una
scuola di Tbilisi. LA CUCINA Prelibate carni: ovine, bovine e di
maiale magro, stufate con vino e spezie o arrosto (con salse di
susine). Buono il formaggio fresco di capra, lo yogurt (matsoni) e’
denso e saporito. Fra gli antipasti, numerosi e in piccoli piatti,
una specialita’ sono le verdure in salsa di noci e aglio. I
“”khinkali”” sono ravioli di carne. PATRIMONIO DELL’UMANITA’ La
regione montana dello Svaneti conserva le caratteristiche case a
torre della popolazione Svan, antico rifugio dalle invasioni e lotte
tribali. Sotto la vetta piu’ alta della Georgia (Monte Shkhara 5201
m.) Ushguli possiede una ventina di torri.
From: Baghdasarian

Interfax, Russia
Oct 1 2004
OSCE rejects observers proposed by CIS Executive Committee
MINSK. Oct 1 (Interfax-West) – The OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has rejected the candidate
observers proposed by the CIC Executive Committee to work in the
upcoming parliamentary elections and referendum in Belarus.
“The OSCE ODIHR asked the CIS Executive Committee to send its
representatives as OSCE observers to the parliamentary elections in
Belarus. We offered them two candidates, representatives of Russia
and Armenia, top officials of the Executive Committee’s department,”
Tatyana Yegorova, spokesman for the CIS Executive Committee, told a
news conference on Friday.
However, the OSCE ODIHR headquarters in Warsaw responded that “our
proposal was not accepted because the proposed candidates are
accredited in Belarus and are allegedly dependent on the Belarussian
government,” she said.
“We were surprised and saddened by this decision. We have always been
ready for contact and sought contacts. We are hoping that they
[contacts] will continue,” Yegorova said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia Federation Council delegation to visit Armenia
ITAR-TASS News Agency
October 1, 2004 Friday
By Lyudmila Yermakova
The Federation Council’s delegation headed by Speaker Sergei Mironov
leaves on Friday for an official visit to Armenia.
It is a return visit to be paid at the request of Armenian National
Assembly head Artur Bagdasaryan, Mironov told Itar-Tass.
Under discussion will be the whole range of issues related to
bilateral relations and international problems. In short, the plans
are tight and diverse, the Federation Council head noted.
The delegation is planned to meet with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan and Catholicos Garegin
II, visit Yerevan’s State University and lay flowers at the memorial
to victims of the 1915 genocide.
The members of the Federation Council, which is a house of regions,
will attend the opening of the centre for Armenian-Russian
interregional cooperation assistance.
The agreement to open the centre was reached last spring at the
conference in Samara on Russian-Armenian interregional
cooperation. The forum noted that ties between regions were a very
important factor to consolidate comprehensive relations between the
two countries.
The Russian parliamentarians will also visit Russian Motorised
Infantry Regiment 123 deployed in Armenia.
From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIA MAY STOP NAVIGATIONAL SERVICE FOR CIS AIRLINES
30-09-2004 19:31
RIA Novosti
MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) – On October 1, Russia may stop
navigational service in Russia for CIS countries’ airlines because
of the airlines’ debts, the Russian Transportation Ministry’s press
service reported.
“The Russian side raised the question of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Ukraine and other CIS countries’ airlines’ debts for navigational
service during flights through the Russian Federation’s territory
more than once,” the ministry’s press release said.
On September 3, 2004, the main center for planning and regulating air
traffic officially notified the CIS countries’ air authorities that
on October 1, 2004, it would stop providing navigational services
for their airlines in Russia if they do not pay off their debts,
the press release said.
The Transportation Ministry noted that this was not the first
notification. “The Russian side believes that the issue of paying
off the debts by bankrupt airlines that have stopped flying should be
considered by the inter-governmental commissions on cooperation with
the given countries,” the press release said, “while the problem of
the debts of the airlines that continue to fly should be considered
by the aviation authorities of the sides. The biggest difficulties
may be from bankrupt airlines that have stopped flying. In a number of
cases, there are grounds to assert that the companies were deliberately
bankrupted to avoid paying debts for navigational service.”
The ministry said that under the inter-governmental agreements on
air traffic between the Russian Federation and Armenia, Georgia,
Kazakhstan and Ukraine, the airlines whose planes fly along the agreed
upon routes are appointed by the governments of the sides.
The ministerial statement offers CIS airlines debt statistics.
Thus, Armenian companies flying via and within Russia owe $5,527
for navigation services, and companies who have by now terminated
activities, $2,681,544.
Russian and Armenian air authorities met at the negotiation table,
September 9. Armenia acknowledged the debt, and said it was willing
to join hands with the creditor, and together grope for ways to settle
the debt. Sixteen Georgian-based companies who no longer have flights
via Russia are owing more than $3.6 million fir navigation alone-a
stale debt of 1994-2001. Russian authorities appealed to Georgia on
the issue four times this month alone-all to no avail. The requests
stayed unanswered, points out the Transport Ministry.
Kazakh airlines who have terminated flights owe $5,515,783 for
1994-2001 alone. The government-authorised Kazakhstan Aue Zholy Co. is
the biggest debtor, with $3,559,005.
An official reply has come from Kazakh air authorities, who say they
are willing to settle the issue together.
Ukrainian airlines who are making flights in and via Russia owe a
token $251.96 for navigation services. 37 companies who have terminated
such flights, on the contrary, are more than five million dollars in
debt for 1994 through last year. Ukrainian Airlines accounts for 4.5
million of the lump.
Ukraine’s State Air Transport Department has taken the obligations
upon itself, and drawn a payment schedule. Payments never started,
however. A bilateral conference of September 20-22, 2004, acknowledged
the debt and drew a pattern to reschedule it, reports Russia’s
Transport Ministry.
From: Baghdasarian

EU Commission welcomes Turkish penal code law
BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) – The EU’s executive Commission said on
Tuesday it welcomed Turkey’s adoption of a new penal code seen as
crucial to its bid to start accession talks with the 25-member bloc.
“We can of course only welcome the step taken on Sunday by the Turkish
National Assembly,” a Commission spokesman said of the legislation,
describing it as “central element of the democratisation and
modernisation process in Turkey.”
The spokesman repeated EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen’s
comment last week that such a move would allow him to make a “clear
recommendation” to EU leaders on opening entry talks in a report due
to be adopted by the Commission on Oct. 6.
The new penal code will bolster women’s rights and punish torture
more severely.
It was approved at an extraordinary session of the Turkish parliament
on Sunday after the Commission made clear the reforms were a condition
for granting Ankara a green light to start the entry negotiations.
09/28/04 06:53 ET
From: Baghdasarian

Bulgarian, Azeri Speakers discuss boosting trade cooperation
BTA web site
28 Sep 04
Sofia, 28 September: A branch that would supply Bulgaria and other
European countries could be added to the currently constructed
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export oil pipeline, the Speaker of the Azerbaijan
National Assembly Murtuz Aleskerov told journalists after his meeting
with National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdzhikov.
Alekserov, who is currently on a four-day visit to Bulgaria,
underscored that the matter whether the pipeline from Azerbaijan to
Western Europe will pass through Bulgaria should be resolved on the
level of ministers of the two countries. The Speaker of the Azerbaijan
parliament noted that the ministers who accompany President Georgi
Purvanov on his forthcoming October visit to Azerbaijan will discuss
the problem.
Gerdzhikov announced that a desire to step up bilateral relations
had been declared at the meeting. We found that trade and economic
relations are at a low level, he said. In Gerdzhikov’s words, this
is unusual since Azerbaijan is a major producer of oil and gas,
while Bulgaria imports these commodities. Gerdzhikov also noted that
Bulgaria is also interested in enhancing transport cooperation on
both a bilateral basis and within the multilateral agreement on the
Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRASECA) transport corridor. Both parties are
in favour of boosting relations in all fields, which is in the context
of our common European and Euro-Atlantic integration, he added.
Murtuz Aleskerov pointed out that an intergovernmental commission was
set up in 1995 with the aim of developing trade and economic relations
between the two countries but trade still hasn’t reached the necessary
level. He pointed out that political, cultural and technological
relations had also been discussed. “We came to the conclusion that
it is necessary to step up parliamentary exchange between the two
countries,” the Speaker of Azerbaijan National Assembly said. Alekserov
added that he had invited Ognyan Gerdzhikov to pay an official visit
to Azerbaijan. Alekserov also said the matter of Nagorny Karabakh had
been touched upon. We share the opinion that this problem should be
resolved on the basis of international law and taking into account
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia, he added.
Later in the day the Azerbaijan National Assembly Speaker and
the delegation he heads were received by Prime Minister Simeon
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Talks centred on the development and deepening of
bilateral relations, with a stress on trade and economic cooperation,
the government press office said. The opinion that all aspects of
Bulgarian-Azeri relations should be boosted, as well as cooperation
on an international scale, was expressed during the meeting. Raising
parliamentary relations between the two countries up to the necessary
high level will contribute to this process, Alekserov pointed out.
From: Baghdasarian

Azeri defence minister, OSCE envoy discuss Karabakh settlement
Turan news agency
21 Sep 04
Baku, 21 September: The settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
was discussed today during a meeting between Azerbaijani Defence
Minister Safar Abiyev and the special representative of the OSCE for
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Filip Dimitrov.
The Defence Ministry press service reports that during the meeting,
Abiyev pointed out that the conflict should be resolved taking into
account Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. “Armenia should withdraw
its troops from the occupied territories, otherwise Azerbaijan will be
forced to liberate its lands on its own,” Abiyev said.
From: Baghdasarian

The last of the Armenians
MADHURIMA NANDY
The Times of India
TIMES NEWS NETWORK TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 03:15:04 AM
Eighty-three-year-old Charles Sarkies misses his friends who used to join
him for a quick game of bingo at the Armenian Club on Park Street. “There
are no births, weddings or engagements but only deaths of Armenians in the
city now.
The few left are just waiting to get six-feet under. Even the Armenian Club
is nearly non-functional,” reminisced Sarkies, who lives with 15 Armenians
at the Sir Catchick Paul Chater old-age home near Park Circus.
Sadly, even the much-popular Armenian rugby team in Kolkata has ceased to
exist now. Earlier, older students of the Armenian College who used to play
the game, along with professional players from abroad, are no more there.
“Unfortunately, the college had closed down for four years and that’s how
the team ceased to exist. I’ve managed to reopen the school in 1999 and
hopefully in the next two years we will get back our rugby team,” said Sonia
John, honourary manager of Armenian College and chair person of the Armenian
Church. The Church that was built in 1724 is possibly the oldest in the
city. Incidentally, there are about 100 Armenian students who now come from
Iran and Armenia to study here on scholarships.
It may be a forgotten history, but Armenians were the first hoteliers in the
city who set up landmark hotels like Grand, Kenilworth, Carlton and
Fairlawn, to name a few. They were known for their great communication
skills and fine sense of cuisine. John, who once owned Carlton Hotel in
Chowringhee, said, “Most of us sold our hotels off or just closed them down.
But like the Swiss, who were unparalled as the first confectioners in the
city, there is no match for Armenians in the hotel industry.”
Interestingly, of the 100-odd members of this community who remain here
still, only five are probably true blue Armenians who still speak in the
Armenian language. “Most Armenians have had inter-community marriages
because they couldn’t find partners from their community here. As a result,
the community is not very close-knit anymore,” said John. The Armenians, who
came here at the end of the 16th century, were as many as 20,000 in number
before Independence. However, post-Independence, moneyed Armenians started
migrating to USA, Europe and Australia.
From: Baghdasarian

RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
September 20, 2004 Monday
Skinheads went underground
by Yaroslav Zorin
SOURCE: Gazeta, No 173, p.6
Skinhead extremists severely beat three men in Moscow metro
A group of young people attacked three people from the Caucasus
region and Central Asia on a Moscow metro car, severely injuring
them.
The attack took place Saturday evening in a metro car, moving between
Aeroport and Dinamo stations in the northern radius of the green
line.
According to the witnesses of the pogrom, 25 to 50 young people with
their hair cut short or shaven off entered a metro car around 11.30
p.m. Saturday at the Aeroport station. The skinheads spotted several
people of non-Slavic origin and started brutally beating them. The
three victims, an 41-years-old Azeri man, an Armenian man, 29, and a
Tajik man, 27, were hospitalized with heavy injuries. Doctors say
their lives are out of danger.
Witnesses said most of the attackers were dressed in short ‘bomber’
jackets, black jeans and wore heavy army boots – typical outfit of
Russian skinheads. The young people reportedly shouted “This is for
the terrorist attacks!” when battering the southerners. Most of the
attackers managed to escape before the police arrived at the scene.
Three teenagers were detained at the exit from the Dinamo station,
although it is unclear, whether they actually participated in the
beating.
From: Baghdasarian